A New Year bird-chasing festival alive in Kamihara, adorned with gohei and banner flags
Torioi Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on January 3 / Every year
- Location
- Kamihara district
- Area
- Nagano Prefecture・Saku City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 20 min–1 h 50 min · bullet train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
The Torioi Festival, passed down in the Kamihara district of Kō, Saku City, is a New Year event that carries prayers to protect the fields and keep households safe. Elementary and middle school students and performers visit homes, and in the afternoon a festival float bearing and banner flags parades through the district.
About Torioi Festival
The Torioi Festival is a New Year event passed down in the Kamihara district of Kō, Saku City.
The festival carries the wishes of residents who pray for abundant harvests and the safety of their households, while carefully protecting the rice paddies of Asashina.
In the morning, elementary and middle school students wearing and shishimai performers visit homes in the area. In the afternoon, participants parade through the district with banner flags and a festival float.
Rooted in the community, the festival is also designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the city.
Festival highlights
Highlights include elementary and middle school students wearing happi and shishimai performers visiting homes in the area, followed by the afternoon parade.
Gohei and banner flags passed down through generations are raised as the festival float makes its way along the roadside.
The charming shishimai performers and children, along with visits to pray for the safety of households that have recently celebrated a marriage or built a new house, are described as distinctive features of this area.
A New Year bird-chasing festival alive in Kamihara, adorned with gohei and banner flags
What to expect
After the spirit-invocation ceremony, which begins at 8:30 a.m., elementary and middle school students wearing happi and shishimai performers visit homes in the area during the morning.
At homes where the residents have recently married or built a new house, prayers are offered for the safety of the household.
From 1 p.m., as part of the Torioi Festival, participants raise banner flags and parade along the roadside, pulling a festival float.
Through the festival’s series of events, people pray for a good harvest and the safety of the community.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Kamihara district
- By car
10 minutes by car from Saku-Minami IC on the Chubu-Odan Expressway
Event venue 長野県佐久市 上原地区
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
- Season
Every year on January 3
- Frequency
Every year
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Nagano Prefecture / Saku City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Origins and History of Torioi Festival
The Torioi Festival is described as having continued for more than 200 years, since the mid-Edo period.
The festival is said to have begun as a way to drive birds away from fields, and has become linked with protecting the rice paddies of Asashina, a region known for high-quality rice.
The tradition continues today as a community festival, with visits to homes and a parade with a festival float, praying for abundant harvests and the safety of households.
It is designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Saku City.
Official information
The annual events guide from the Saku City Tourism Association lists the Kamihara Torioi Festival as a Kamihara district event held every year on January 3.
Torioi Festival at a Glance
The Torioi Festival is a New Year event passed down in the Kamihara district of Kō, Saku City.
Against the backdrop of the practice of driving birds away from fields, people pray for abundant harvests and the safety of their households.
In the morning, elementary and middle school students and shishimai performers visit homes. In the afternoon, a festival float bearing gohei and banner flags parades along the roadside.
The festival has continued for more than 200 years, since the mid-Edo period, and is designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Saku City.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
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Article updated: 2026/11/11
